Pokémon: The Ringhalo Legacy
by Advance Forward
Summary: After losing the Unova League, Ash, along with all of his friends, have been invited to Ringhalo Island, the so-called "Legendary Island", to participate in a new type of battling and help a Pokémon Professor conduct his research. What new friends, enemies, challenges, adventures, and mysteries await? Read and find out! Multiple shippings, including AdvanceShipping! R&R!
1. Premiere, Part 1

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! I know I have to update "Revenge of the Phantom", but after watched that awesome animated trailer for "Pokémon: Black and White Versions 2", I decided to create a fic that brings the anime into a darker territory. I have also decided to update the formula a bit by totally revamping the usual premise and also adding characters from the anime's side-stories, the games, and the manga, as well as new characters. Additionally, this is my honest attempt at explaining some Pokémon mythos, and maybe establishing some ground rules. So, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon, Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.

* * *

_Dear Ash Ketchum,_

_I have been following your exploits for quite some time. And don't think of me as a stalker or anything like that, I gotta tell you! You have seen a lot of interesting stuff during your journey as a Pokémon Trainer, things no other Trainer would've experienced, and it really intrigues me as to how you are such a magnet for this kind of stuff. __Anyway, since you have seen so much stuff and so much Legendary Pokémon in the past seven years, I believe that your experiences will be of a great benefit to my research. I cordially invite you to stay at my laboratory at Ecklypse Town in Ringhalo Island._

_If this invitation doesn't pique your interests, maybe this one will: there will be a hosting of the 1st Annual Ultimate Battle Festival, a complete smash-up of Trainers, Gym Leaders, and Champions from all of the regions in the Pokémon world. It is the perfect heaven for a Trainer such as yourself!_

_Should you accept this invitation, go to the Vermillion City harbor on next Friday. There'll be a ship waiting with further instructions and information on Ringhalo Island and the Ultimate Battle Festival. You will be accompanied by Professor Oak, for I have invited him as well. You are also free to bring along your family and friends; I'm pretty sure they wouldn't wanna miss out on an opportunity such as the Festival!_

_Sincerely, Professor Gale Cypress  
_

* * *

Adjusting his cap, seventeen-year-old Ash Ketchum smiled his trademark triumphant grin as he shifted his sights from the formal letter he had received a few minutes ago to his beloved friend and partner Pokémon, Pikachu.

"What d'you think, Pikachu?" he asked. "Should we accept this invitation?"

Small sparks of electricity flew out of the pouches on Pikachu's cheeks as the electric rodent smiled back.

"Pi-pika!"

* * *

_Pokémon! Fight to win!_

_It's another brand-new adventure,  
A new place to start again.  
Dangers and mysteries lie ahead  
In this journey,  
Losses and conflicts  
Are what I see in front of me._

_But they will not overcome me, 'cause I  
Fight to win!  
Fight to win!_

_Friends and allies,  
Enemies and opponents,  
There are two sides to everything.  
But for all of us  
There is no such thing is defeat,  
Only sound triumph!_

_Oh, it's all part of the battle, and I  
Fight to win!  
Fight to win!_

**_POKéMON!_**

* * *

**POKéMON: THE RINGHALO LEGACY**

* * *

_**Episode 1: Premiere, Part 1**_

* * *

Ash hurriedly walked into the kitchen, where he found his mother Delia cooking a dish, while Mimey was devotedly sweeping the floor with a broom nearby. Sitting at the kitchen table were his current traveling companions, Iris and Cilan. Perched in Iris's large purple hair was her Axew, which greeted Pikachu kindly.

"Mom, I gotta tell you something!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh, are you gonna go to another region again?" Delia questioned curiously as she looked directly at her son with a beaming expression on her face. "My, you're just like your father, Ash; always so adventurous and eager!"

"Well, sorta...yeah. I was invited by Professor Gale Cypress of Ringhalo Island to come over to his laboratory and help him with his research. In addition to that, there's an Ultimate Battle Festival there. Trainers from regions all around the world are participating!"

"Ringhalo Island, huh?" replied Cilan. He immediately put on a sagely look on his face, a signal that he was putting his knowledge into good use. "That's where the headquarters of the BW Agency is!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "The BW Agency?"

"Pika?" asked Pikachu with similar curiosity.

"You've never _heard_ of the BW Agency?!" Iris exclaimed, her eyes wide and bulging with shock. "Such a **kid**! The BW Agency is a multimedia company that is responsible for all of the movies, advertisements, and collectible items ever seen! _Everyone_ knows that!"

"Well, we come from Kanto, Iris dear," replied Delia. "I don't think this BW Agency is common here. I haven't heard of the name myself."

"Huh. If Virgil were here, he'd-," Cilan began, but suddenly, a dark look crept over Ash's face, something that Iris was quick to notice. She instantly shot a bitter look at Cilan, who was at first confused by this glance, but once he looked over at Ash, he realized his mistake. He knew how hard it had been for the seventeen-year-old Trainer since his last encounter with his Unova rival.

"Too soon, huh?" Cilan whispered to Iris, who just scowled back at him.

Delia also noticed this exchange and instinctively changed the subject. "So, dear, you plan on going to Ringhalo Island?"

Ash blinked, his mind immediately clearing itself of thoughts concerning Trip, and smiled. "Of course! I'm doing this mostly because the Ultimate Battle Festival's being held over there! It'll be good for exercising on my behalf, and even improving!"

"Pika!" shouted Pikachu in agreement.

"Well, you have my permission to go over there. Just be careful, my little Ashy."

"MOM!" shouted Ash, blushing with embarrassment as Iris giggled and even Cilan struggled to stifle a laugh.

"I mean it, Ash. Every time I see on the news one of your adventures with those Legendary Pokémon, I become worried about you. I fear that one day you might...you might...might..." Delia broke off sharply, and she started stirring a steaming pot full of rice-meal with much more speed.

Ash frowned pitifully; he knew how concerned his mother could be, especially over him, her only child. Then, he smiled a wide grin.

"Well, I didn't mention this to you yet," he explained, "but I'm allowed to bring family and friends with me. And in addition to Iris and Cilan, I've decided to bring you and Mimey along to Ringhalo Island, Mom."

Delia stopped, and even Mimey stopped its cleaning. When his mother didn't look at him, Ash pressed on.

"Come on, Mom! It'll be good for us! I've never really seen you go out of Pallet Town much, let alone have a Pokémon battle!" Ash's eyes brightened up. "...Yeah, come on Mom! Maybe for once, I can actually watch you have a battle of your own!"

It was silent for a moment. Finally, Delia let out a long sigh and faced Ash. A smile crept onto her face.

"Alright, Ash, I'll go. Just because you asked me to."

Ash smiled and ran over to hug Delia, nearly knocking Pikachu off his shoulder in the process.

"That's so GREAT, Mom!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Trust me, Mom, you won't regret this!" He broke away from Delia and ran out of the kitchen. "I'll go call Brock, see if he'd like to come too! Again Mom, you won't regret this!"

As Iris and Cilan stood from the kitchen table and followed Ash, Delia whispered to herself, "I think I already am..."

* * *

Ash dashed towards the house's phone booth and quickly dialed a number. He glared at the screen, and finally, after an initial struggle for the line to get through, the squinty-eyed face that was Brock Harrison's appeared on the screen. The Pokémon Doctor-to-be recognized who the caller was and smiled widely and with warmth.

"Pika-Chu!" Pikachu greeted.

"Hey, Ash! How're ya doing?" he exclaimed. "It's been a while! How's that Pokémon Master doing?"

"Good," replied Ash. "How about you, Brock? How's medical school doing?"

"Well, it's hard work, but it's my life dream to become a doctor, so a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do! So, what's up? You called me for a reason."

"I was invited to Ringhalo Island by Professor Gale Cypress, who is asking me to assist-"

Suddenly, Brock cut him off. "Ah, you don't have to anything anymore, Ash. I'm actually on my way to Ringhalo Island too!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You are?"

"Yeah, my bro Forrest received an invitation to participate in this Ultimate Battle Festival that's being held over there. As the Pewter City Gym Leader, his efforts were recognized and he was asked over, and there was an option to bring family and friends along. Of course, he invited me and my Dad to come with him, and we said yes. I'm betting you were drawn in just because of the Festival too, huh?"

Ash nodded, to which Brock chuckled heartily. "Ah, that's the Ash I know; always itching to jump into a challenge, no matter how hard it is!" He then noticed Iris and Cilan, and his smile widened even more. "Ah, these must be Iris, her Axew, and Cilan. Dawn's told me a lot about you two. I'm especially interested about you, Cilan. How is your goal to become a Pokémon Connoisseur coming along?"

"I am making good progress," Cilan replied proudly.

Just then, Brock's eyes widened (well, as wide as his squinty eyes can get), and he said, "Oh, speaking of Dawn, she's actually coming to Ringhalo as well!"

"Dawn? She is?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. So are Misty, May, and Max, as far as I can tell. They both called me earlier about it. Misty was also invited to participate in the Festival, while there's some Pokémon Contests that attracted May and Dawn's attentions. And also, Max wants to do some practice for his Pokémon battling skills, so-"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot!" interrupted Ash. "Max turned ten last year, right? Man, I saw his performance at the Hoenn League. He was awesome!"

"Yeah, too bad he lost, though. Speaking of which, how were you at the Unova League? I wasn't able to watch the tournament on TV. Did you win?"

"He lost," Iris replied quickly, as Ash's expression darkened for a few seconds.

"Aw, MAN!" exclaimed Brock. "Again? I guess the practice in Ringhalo is well-needed."

"Yeah, yeah it is..." Ash replied absentmindedly, a tone that Brock registered quickly.

"Is he...alright?"

"He didn't take the loss too well," Cilan said.

"Oh. Well, here's something that'll brighten your mood: Dawn's here right now."

Ash's attention was caught. "She is?" he asked.

On cue, the face of a Piplup suddenly appeared on the screen, and it was a bit too close for the Penguin Pokémon's liking. In seconds, Piplup fell out of the screen's view, whimpering in pain. A female suddenly gasped in concern and exclaimed, "Oh, Piplup!"

"Hey, Dawn!" Brock said, looking off in another direction. "I'm talking to Ash right now! We were talking about Ringhalo Island. Believe it or not, he's going there too."

"Wow, he IS?!" Dawn exclaimed, and just then, Brock was half-shoved from the chair, replaced in seconds by Dawn Berlitz, Ash's traveling companion from Sinnoh. The blunette smiled colorfully at Ash. "ASH! Hey, how are you? You're going to Ringhalo Island too?"

"Yep," replied Ash. "Are you?"

"Yeah, there's a Pokémon Contest being held there and it didn't take long for me to sign up! Besides, the BW Agency's headquarters is there, and I wanna see Nate Black! He's SO HOT!" She started blushing furiously.

Just then, Iris leaned forward and exclaimed, "Hey Dawn, you'll never believe this: Ash doesn't know what the BW Agency IS!"

Dawn's eyes widened. "WHAT?! YOU'RE **KIDDING**!"

"Well, I-I do now!" Ash cried in protest.

"Ash, you're such a **kid**!" Dawn shook her head disapprovingly. "How could you NOT know what the BW Agency is?"

"HEY! Why do you have to call me a **kid**? It's bad enough that Iris has to call me that; now you're following her lead every time you come across her!"

"But HOW can you-"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I am lame! Onto another subject! How come you're at Brock's? Last I heard, you were at Johto, participating in the Wallace Cup."

"I won the Wallace Cup, and since my Contest campaign in Hoenn wasn't so successful, I started traveling the region and participating in the local festivals. Then, I heard about the Pokémon Contest being held in Ringhalo and decided to join it as a bit of a break-time for me."

"When it comes to Contests, you never let yourself have a break," remarked Ash.

"Yeah. So, I guess we're gonna be meeting you three at Ringhalo Island."

"I wish you the best of luck in your Contests in advance, Dawn!"

"Thanks, Ash. And I wish the same for the Festival."

Brock's face then reappeared alongside Dawn's. "So, Ash," he said, "we'll see you at the Vermillion City harbor next Friday?"

"Yep, next Friday. See ya, Brock and Dawn!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu added, addressing Piplup.

"Bye, guys!" replied Dawn.

"Yep, see ya!" Brock added. "Cilan, Iris, a pleasure to meet you both."

"Nice to meet you Brock!" said Cilan.

"Same here!" added Iris.

Brock nodded, and seconds later, his end of the line went off. Cilan patted Ash's shoulder.

"So," he said, "I guess we're gonna be seeing your traveling companions from the previous regions. I can't wait to see 'em all! They all sound very nice and generous, according to those stories you told us."

"That Misty girl sounds most interesting to me," said Iris. "It's good to know that I'm not the only one who has to babysit a **kid** here..."

"STOP CALLING ME A **KID**, IRIS!" shouted Ash, half-jokingly and half-angrily.

Cilan sighed and shrugged to Pikachu and Axew as their owners bickered back and forth.

* * *

Delia was outside, watering her garden while Mimey was sweeping the porch. However, the mother didn't seem too focused on her work, as she was over-watering a shrub absentmindedly. She was still reeling from the prospect of having to travel with Ash. Delia still remembered with bitter memory the last time she left the limits of Pallet Town on her own accord...

"Delia, you seem to be over-watering that shrub," a voice said.

Delia looked up to see her former mentor Professor Samuel Oak on his bicycle. Vacating her head of all negative thoughts, she smiled innocently. "Hi, Professor! I'm sorry, I'm just thinking about some things."

"Is it about Ash leaving Pallet to go to Ringhalo Island?" the Professor asked. "Don't worry, I received a similar invitation. Professor Cypress is a good friend of mine."

"Yeah. But he invited _me_ to come along with him."

The Professor's eyes widened with surprise. "What? He did? Did you accept?"

"Of course I did. He was eager to have me as a traveling companion for once. But, truth is, I only did it so he wouldn't be let down. He felt that I spent too much time being cooped up here in Pallet Town, and that I should see more of the world."

"Are you still afraid of leaving Pallet Town on your own accord, Delia?"

"Yeah. I can still remember what happened last time I left here..."

"That was a long time ago, Delia! A VERY long time ago. There is an extremely low probability that history will repeat itself at this point! Come on, Delia, I agree with Ash; you need to see the outside world a bit more often. I'm coming too, and I'm bringing along Gary and Tracey. Plus, it's very likely that Ash will bring all of his friends, so you'll be surrounded by a lot of familiar faces!"

"I still have a bad feeling about this..." Delia glanced off into the sky, which was completely devoid of a single cloud, and sighed. "But I guess I have spoken. I gotta go with my son to Ringhalo Island. Whether I like it or not. I gotta keep my word."

* * *

Elsewhere, at the headquarters of the infamous Team Rocket crime syndicate, Jessie, James, and Meowth walked down a long hallway, with only a single door at the opposite end of it and no other doors present. The hallway was mostly shrouded in darkness, giving more of an eerie presence to the scene. The trio of Team Rocket grunts seemed to feel this unnerving shift in tone, and they began to fear the motivations of their superior who had summoned them to his office, Giovanni.

"I haven't been to the boss's office in a while," Jessie said nervously. "Usually when we're there, we're either given praise-"

"-Or completely trashed for our failures," completed James, shivering a bit.

"And we don't have no excuse ta have da boss's praise for a while," Meowth added. "Do you guys tink-"

"-That we've crossed a line with the boss?" Jessie completed.

"Well, what do you think, Jessie?" replied James sourly. "We haven't had a single success at bringing the boss any interesting Pokémon..."

"Especially not that twerp's Pikachu!" Jessie snapped angrily.

"Da twoips..." Meowth snarled. "ARGH! I hate tem! I was hard ta go undercover with tem! Thought I was gonna lose it or sometin'..."

"Well, we're at the doorway of the boss's office," announced James. Indeed, the trio had approached the door. "Let's face it; whatever the boss's intentions for getting us here are, we're doomed either way."

"Let's just face it," Jessie replied. "If he wants us out, let's not give him the trouble. 'Cause I'm the fiery destroyer Jessie-"

"-And with thunderous emotion, I am James!" added James.

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!" Meowth added.

"And now gather, under the name of Team Rocket...OF WHICH WE **RETIRE**!"

Just then, the door opened to reveal Matori, Giovanni's secretary. "Jessie, James, and Meowth, Giovanni would like to see you now," she announced.

"Yes, ma'am," Jessie, James, and Meowth replied quickly and simultaneously, all thoughts of resigning from Team Rocket subsiding within just a split-second. The trio entered the office and found their superior sitting on a chair, glancing from his side out of a wide window that overlooked the Kanto landscape. He then turned to them and, to their surprise, smiled warmly.

"Welcome, Jessie, James, Meowth," he greeted. "I take to it that you haven't been to my office in such a while."

"Um...yes, sir," Jessie replied cautiously.

"It's such an honor to be back here, sir," added James, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Yeah, a great enlightenment of da soul!" Meowth exclaimed, smiling innocently.

"Well, you must wondering what led to this, how should I say, interesting development? Well, during the start of your careers, you have earned me, and the name of Team Rocket, prideful and most _honorable_ respect. Unfortunately, after a failed robbery at a Pokémon Center, the majority of your careers has constituted disappointing and most _embarrassing_ failure." This drew nervous chuckles from the trio, but he dismissed it and continued. "However, you three have proved recently that you can still succeed, should you try harder. Your exploits in the Unova region, while not as golden as I hoped for, were indeed impressive. You three especially stirred my respect when you rescued me during the Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus fiasco."

"Why, thank you, sir," replied James.

"That praise was certainly worth it!" Jessie added.

"Never felt tis big in a while!" exclaimed Meowth.

"Which is why," Giovanni concluded, "I have assigned you to a special mission."

"You _have_?" Jessie, James, and Meowth replied, all in shock.

"Yes. I want you to become part of a task force consisting of other noteworthy Team Rocket members. This task force will lead an army of grunts to Ringhalo Island and operate several missions in secret. See, there are legends there that have stirred my interest..."

* * *

**A/N:** So, what do you think? Sure, no action right now, but it'll start soon, I guarantee that! Leave reviews, please! Thanks!


	2. Premiere, Part 2

**A/N:** Sorry for the long update, folks! Life was distracting me. But now that I have a week-long break, I have enough time to make a couple of updates, hooray!

* * *

Ash suddenly opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of a wide field shrouded in a thick blanket of silvery fog. At first, there was nothing else present in the field aside from him, but when he blinked, he suddenly found himself encircled by sixteen tall cairns. The Trainer blinked again, but the cairns didn't disappear. He looked around, unsure of where he was or how he even got himself in his current location.

"ASH!"

* * *

Ash opened his eyes again, and this time, he found himself in his bedroom. The morning sunlight was shining through the window, illuminating it with its golden warmth. He looked at his side and found that Delia was at his bedside, Pikachu looking comfortable in her arms.

"Ash, it's time for breakfast!" Delia exclaimed a bit sternly. "Time to get changed in better clothes."

"Mom, I've been traveling around the world for seven years," replied Ash, his voice expressing exhaustion. "I know what to do now."

Delia's eyes widened with surprise, and she smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry Ash. I guess I'm still holding up with actually traveling with you to a new region for once."

"It's okay, Mom, I understand." Ash smiled back at his mother and got out of his bed, memories of the strange dream disappearing from his mind in an instant.

It took the seventeen-year-old Trainer a few minutes to get dressed in formal clothes in the bathroom. Putting on his cap, he left the bathroom, approached Delia, and held out his arm for Pikachu to hop on. The electric rodent didn't waste any seconds in complying, and pretty soon, Ash left the bedroom with Pikachu perched on his shoulder and his mother following close behind.

The first thing Ash saw was the vast blue ocean. Smiling at the beautiful sight, he inhaled the fresh sea air, holding out his arms slightly as he did so.

"Hey Ash, glad to see you're awake!" a familiar voice greeted.

Ash looked at his left and saw, to his delight, Iris, Cilan, Brock, Dawn, Gary, Misty, and Tracey, all of whom smiled at him.

* * *

_Pokémon! Fight to win!_

_It's another brand-new adventure,  
A new place to start again.  
Dangers and mysteries lie ahead  
In this journey,  
Losses and conflicts  
Are what I see in front of me._

_But they will not overcome me, 'cause I  
Fight to win!  
Fight to win!_

_Friends and allies,  
Enemies and opponents,  
There are two sides to everything.  
But for all of us  
There is no such thing is defeat,  
Only sound triumph!_

_Oh, it's all part of the battle, and I  
Fight to win!  
Fight to win!_

**_POKéMON!_**

* * *

**POKéMON: THE RINGHALO LEGACY**

* * *

_**Episode 2: Premiere, Part 2**_

* * *

It has been a week since Ash first received a letter from Professor Gale Cypress, inviting him to come to his laboratory in Ringhalo Island and help him with the research he was conducting, and also to participate in the Ultimate Battle Festival that was being held over there. Three days ago, he had left Pallet Town with Iris, Cilan, Delia, Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracey, bringing along with them their Pokémon. Oak left his laboratory under the watch of Jared, a research assistant from Sayda Island. Jared was to be responsible for teleporting Pokémon from Oak's lab when requested.

The group had traveled through the Kanto region for two days, with the goal of reaching the Vermillion City harbor. On their way, they stopped by at Pewter City, where they met up with Brock, Forrest, Dawn, and Flint, who joined the group and left the Pewter City under Lola's supervision; they were soon followed by Misty in Cerulean City. Their journey was uninterrupted, and the group finally reached their destination by Friday evening, indeed finding a ship waiting for them at the harbor. Ash and Gary spent the rest of the day battling each other with all of their Pokémon aboard the ship.

"Hey, guys!" Ash replied, his smile widening. "Good morning!"

"Good morning?" asked Brock, smiling jokingly. "It's almost noon! You slept in."

"Ah, same ol' Ash," Misty said. "Always sleeping in after staying awake late at night."

"Yeah, just like a **kid**," remarked Iris.

A crimson blush enveloped Ash's face and he shouted out in embarrassment, "I'M NOT A **KID**, IRIS! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I HAPPENED TO SLEEP LATE BECAUSE I WAS BATTLING SOMEONE, ALRIGHT?!"

"That someone would be me," Gary replied, smiling in mock-arrogance, "and I _won_."

Ash's blush became even more florid, but before he could retort, Professor Oak appeared.

"Alright, guys!" Oak announced suddenly, breaking the tension. "Come up to the main deck! They're gonna show a video about Ringhalo Island, and I think you all should be well-informed on what you're headed to."

Ash and the others all nodded and followed the Professor to the main deck. At the right of the main deck was a gargantuan TV screen that was boasting a strange, complex-looking symbol that suddenly attracted Ash's attention for whatever reason. It was of four circles, one within another, with smaller circles of varying amounts lying just on the lines of the three outer circles, while three circles were surrounding the innermost circle. Over these four circles was a single triangle, and on the sides of the triangle were individual circles, one each, and the centers of these circles branched off into three other circles each. For some odd reason, the strange symbol sparked something within Ash's mind... (**A/N:** Go to Google Images and type 'Arceus symbol' for better clarification.)

But his thoughts were interrupted when the symbol disappeared from the screen, being replaced with an aerial view of what Ash theorized is Ringhalo Island. It was shaped like an ellipse, with the landmass encircling around a large body of water, like an atoll. In the middle of this lake appeared to be a small island. At first glance, the island would have resembled an eye.

_**"The Island of Mystery. The Legendary Island. The Eye of the World. These are some of the names given to this peculiarly-shaped island in its long history. But in modern times, only one title has been commonly used to address the island: Ringhalo Island. It is famous for being the location of the BW Agency headquarters and its unique variety of environments offered by the island's sixteen Districts."**_

"Huh? Districts?" Ash repeated, curious.

"Pika?" added Pikachu.

As if it heard the Trainer's query, the video explained, _**"As mentioned before, the island hosts a total of sixteen Districts, all boasting its own unique terrains and environments, all of them seemingly based on sixteen of seventeen Pokémon types. For example, the Metal District, the most populous of the Districts, is home to the island's steel factories and its center of technology, while the Frozen District experiences snowy weather that is uninterrupted.**_

_**"According to the oldest of the island's legends, this unique environmental variety was the product of an event known as the Division, wholly influenced by the Alpha Pokémon Arceus when the island was devastated by a cataclysmic war waged by all Legendary Pokémon, aptly known as the Legendary War."**_

The Trainers all gasped in shock.

"The Legendary Pokémon were warring with one another?" Cilan asked.

"No WAY!" exclaimed Dawn.

"How come?" Ash asked.

"Pika?"

Unfortunately, the video didn't answer that question, instead explaining, _**"And the BW Agency, for those who are unaware-"**_

"Ash," coughed Iris teasingly, causing Ash to blush with embarrassment.

_**"-is the most profitable multimedia company that is responsible for all of the movies, advertisements, and collectible items seen in the Pokémon world.**_

_**"The BW Agency and the island's environments have proved themselves to the top magnets of the island's tourism, the former more so than the latter. But soon, a third event will join their ranks: the Ultimate Battle Festival, which will be holding its first annual tournament a couple of weeks from now.**_

_**"The Ultimate Battle Festival takes Trainers, Gym Leaders, and Champions from regions all across the Pokémon world and pits a certain number of them at a time in a complex maze that spans across Ringhalo Island's sixteen Districts. Participants are slated to travel through the maze, battling anyone they come across on a one-on-one match. These matches last for three hours. With each victory, participants acquire Ultimate Battle Points, or UBPs, which are kept track of through a scoreboard. Trainers that experience three defeats are taken out of the game, but their UBPs aren't lost and they can be redeemed with the next matches. And to further complicate the battles, the environments prove to be an obstacle of their own.**_

_**"The Festival lasts for a year and is divided into four quarters, the Winter Quarter, the Spring Quarter, the Summer Quarter, and the Fall Quarter. The Trainer who receives the most UBPs by the end of the Festival is declared the winner. Should there be any ties, the Trainers would battle it out for the top spot."**_

"Wow, that sounds like an awesome challenge!" exclaimed Ash.

The video continued: _**"The Festival was conceived by the current CEOs of the BW Agency, Caleb White and Nate Black."**_

Two photos of the CEOs appeared. Caleb White was a middle-aged man with wavy brown hair and a somewhat smug smile on his face, and he was wearing a dark-gray business suit with a black-and-red-striped tie. The girls on the ship squealed with delight at the picture of Nate Black, a teenager at about Ash's age, with long brown hair and wearing, unlike his partner, a turquoise-and-black shirt, a blue-and-black-striped jacket, silver sweatpants, a red cap with a Poké Ball symbol, and black leggings with turquoise stripes at the bottom. Ash was surprised to see that Nate, a teenager, managed to become CEO of a prominent company.

_**"Caleb White cited the Festival's creation as an honest attempt to revolutionize the art of Pokémon battling. The following video is an announcement he made regarding the purpose of the Festival."**_

The video switched to a live press feed of Caleb White addressing a crowd of news reporters. _**"For many generations, the primary concept of Pokémon battling has been about showing the true power of a Pokémon Trainer's**_**_ spirit,"_** he announced. _**"But as the technology of our world becomes advanced, the way we battle does not. And when battling becomes outdated, what will become of it in the end? Which is why I am introducing to the world the Ultimate Battle Festival, a new way of Pokémon battling. It increases the challenges of battling and brings new opportunities to strengthen Pokémon Trainers from all around the world! Think of all the possibilities it presents!"**_

The video then explained, _**"This marks the first time the BW Agency has made a contribution directly related to Pokémon battling.**_

_**"Whether or not it is the location of a well-known business, the unique environmental variety, or the location of a new Pokémon battling tournament, Ringhalo Island has proved itself, time from time, to be a unique location. Ringhalo Island. Enjoy."**_

The video then switched to a view of a kindly old man with a bald scalp, graying black hair at the temples, and a slightly long gray beard. He was wearing a pair of glasses and a white lab-coat. The man flashed a gentle, optimistic smile at the group.

_**"Greetings****,**** everyone!"**_ the man said. _**"The name's Gale Cypress, Pokémon Professor of Ecklypse Town! Ash Ketchum, should you be present, I would like to enlighten you my motivations for bringing you to Ringhalo Island. You see, after hearing the legend of the Division, I have become interested in how the seventeen Pokémon types came to be, and what individualizes them from one another.**_

_**"I first found you after seeing live coverage of the battle between Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in the Orange Islands. Since then, I have followed your exploits closely, and it was easy for me to see you as a purely unique Pokémon Trainer, a one-of-a-kind. You have seen certainly a lot of stuff during your travels through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, the Battle Frontier, Sinnoh, and Unova, and I thought I'd use your experiences as a source of data for my research. It would mean a lot to me if you assisted me in my research."  
**_

"You betcha!" Ash replied enthusiastically.

"Pika!"

As if Cypress heard Ash's reply, he exclaimed, _**"Excellent! I can't wait to meet up with you tomorrow, Ash!"**_

And with that, the video shut itself off. Though the audience took this time to disperse around the ship, Ash and Pikachu were left behind, confused with one question that remained unanswered.

_"Why were the Legendary Pokémon _fighting_?"_

* * *

Several miles away from Ash's ship, a black-colored submarine cruised across the ocean underneath its surface. On one side, there was a dark-pink insignia of an 'R'.

Inside the submarine, Jessie, James, and Meowth sat at a conference room, closely examining the other members of the Team Rocket task force that were to be their colleagues for about a year. There was Attila and Hun, two high-ranking members operating in Team Rocket's Johto-based branch; Tyson, whom they remembered assigning them the mission of capturing the Red Gyarados at Lake Rage; Domino, who they encountered years ago at Mount Quena, an occurrence they didn't wish to speak of for the sake of a certain Pokémon; and Pierce, a Team Rocket agent who assisted them during their exploits in Unova.

There were a number of familiar faces among the task force, but there were two Team Rocket members that the trio were most displeased at seeing were their own rivals, Cassidy, Butch, and their Raticate. Upon seeing them as part of the force back at the Team Rocket headquarters, the three struck up an argument that was heated and had to be forcibly broken up by Giovanni's secretary Matori. But that didn't alleviate their rivalry, as the two trios were now presently staring at each other menacingly before a screen lowered itself from the conference room ceiling, an image of Giovanni appearing on it shortly.

_**"Greetings, Nine**** Rockets,"**_ Giovanni announced. _**"You have all been specifically chosen for one sole purpose: to lead a squad of Team Rocket agents in the investigation of the legends of the world-famous Ringhalo Island and capture any noteworthy Pokémon you come across. Team Rocket intelligence received word about a legend well-known at the island, concerning all of the Legendary Pokémon and a cataclysm that led to its unique variety of environments.**_

_**"The power and might of Team Rocket rest on your shoulders from here on out, agents! Bring pride to the Team Rocket name!"**_

Giovanni's image disappeared, and the screen retracted back into the ceiling.

"That's it?" Jessie asked, a bit dumbfounded by the short announcement given by her superior. "That's all we're doing? Doing some detective work on an island?"

"What'd you expect, genius?" replied Cassidy snobbishly. "Of course, you, your boyfriend, and your little kitten have failed so much in your missions that you barely register the simplest of commands from the almighty Giovanni!"

"HEY, I'M NOT HER BOYFRIEND!" James screamed, blushing with embarrassment.

"AND DON'T YOU CALL ME A KITTEN!" shrieked Meowth furiously.

"Alright everyone, let's stop the quarreling," a voice said coolly. The two trios turned to look at Domino, whose arms were crossed. "I don't know what your history is, but bickering will bring down the Nine Rockets fast, and you don't wanna disappoint the boss, do you?"

"No," Jessie, James, Meowth, and Cassidy replied simultaneously.

"Good. Now, let's get this show on the road."

* * *

"Come on out, everyone!" Ash exclaimed as he threw his five Poké Balls into the air, unleashing his Oshawott, Staraptor, Sceptile, Leavanny, and Krookodile, all of whom he brought along with Pikachu.

Iris unleashed her Excadrill, Emolga, and Dragonite alongside her Axew. Cilan unleashed his Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk. Brock took out his Steelix, Ludicolo, Marshtomp, Sudowoodo, Croagunk, and Chansey. Misty took out her Staryu, Starmie, Politoed, Corsola, and Gyarados, alongside her Azurill. Gary unleashed his Blastoise, Umbreon, Electivire, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Scizor. Tracey took out his Scyther, Venonat, and Marill. And Forrest took out his Rhyperior.

"Well, Ringhalo Island's just a couple of days away, so we might as well take this time to relax!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped in agreement.

The rest of the day was spent through rest and relaxation. The group ate, sat back, and swam in the ship's large swimming pool while their Pokémon played with each other in the ship's Pokémon playground. During the afternoon hours, Ash emerged from the swimming pool after spending almost an hour in it and approached Brock and Dawn as they sunbathed in the bright sun.

"Hey, Brock, Dawn," Ash said. "By any chance, did either of you hear anything about May...or Max?"

"Why so, Ash?" asked Brock in response.

"Well, I've caught up with all of you on what happened while you were gone, except for May. ...And Max, of course! I'd thought I know what happened with her- I mean, them, them!"

"Of course, Max lost the Hoenn League despite leading a good winning streak. His Pokémon are a Grovyle, a Kirlia, an Aggron, a Lunatone, a Camerupt, and a Tropius."

"Well, I guess Max got a Treecko, like he wanted when I first met him. And by any chance, is that Kirlia the same Ralts he befriended and promised to come after?"

Brock smiled proudly. "The one and only."

Ash smiled as well. "Max has done a lot, and I'm proud of him." He then raised an eyebrow. "And what about May?"

"I'll explain," Dawn replied. "Well, remember me saying I traveled the Johto region when my Hoenn campaign wasn't a success?"

"Yeah. That's where May was, right?"

"Correct. I actually started traveling with her through the region. That is, until..."

Ash's eyes widened with surprise. "Until? Until what?"

Dawn looked up at her friend, sighed, and replied, "I...I can't tell you. May made me promise. I can tell you this, though: it really broke her heart. After that occurrence happened, she semiretired from Pokémon Contests and went back to Hoenn. I didn't hear from her for a while until she called me while I was on my way to Pewter City to visit Brock. She told me about the Pokémon Contest that is being held at Ringhalo Island, and that she was gonna go with her family and participate. She said that it might help to give a boost to her confidence."

"Oh. Well, that's good to hear! May's confidence hasn't fully disappeared!" Ash smiled his brightest smile, feeling proud of his unofficial student. He never liked it when he heard that bad things were happening to May right now, and the announcement Dawn made was some good news.

* * *

Simultaneous to Ash's conversation with Dawn about her, May Maple watched as her ship slowly but steadily approached the Ecklypse Town harbor. She sighed heavily and glanced at her side, where her younger brother Max, now twelve years old, was battling another Trainer as their parents, Norman and Caroline, watched proudly. Closely examining Max's battling style, she immediately noticed its similarities to that of their friend Ash's. Ash was certainly a role model to her brother in more ways than one, May concluded.

"Grovyle, finish this battle off with a Leaf Storm!" Max commanded. The three leaves on one of Grovyle's forearms glowed a green light and then combined into a single long blade, which the Wood Gecko Pokémon used to slash its opponent, a Rhydon, which was critically injured. The Rhydon's Trainer gasped in shock as his Pokémon fell to the ground, squiggly-eyed and defeated.

"RHYDON!" the Trainer screamed. "AGH!"

"Alright, we win!" Max exclaimed with joy, raising a fist into the air, and Grovyle cried out in agreement.

"Great battle, Max, great battle," Norman said as he applauded. "I'm proud of you, son."

Caroline went up to Max and hugged him tightly. "That was an amazing battle, Max!" she exclaimed proudly.

"Mom, y-you're ch-choking me..." gagged Max.

May was forced to suppress a laugh as Caroline released Max, allowing the twelve-year-old to gasp for air. She then went up to her younger brother and said, "Great job with that battle, Max. It'd be enough to make even Ash proud."

Max smiled proudly and gave his sister a high-five.

"Hello? Anyone gonna congratulate me for my effort in the battle?" The Maple family turned to the Rhydon's Trainer, an olive-green-haired young adult wearing a light-blue robe, who had just recalled his fallen Pokémon.

"You battled well too, Kenny," Norman replied, shaking his assistant's hand fondly.

"Yeah, great job, Ken," added Max, giving Kenny a high-five of his own.

"Thanks," Kenny said.

May smiled at this exchange and then glanced at the approaching harbor. It has been about a year ever since her semi-retirement from Pokémon Contests, which had brought her to a new low. But now, she has found a new opportunity in the form of the Prosparia City Pokémon Contest. Additionally, there were relatives living in Prosparia, which would've been a source of great comfort. And yet, she was still down and she didn't know why.

_"Maybe things will be better when Ash and the others arrive,"_ she thought.


End file.
